The Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) still has grants of up to $25,000 available to help N.C. landowners protect their land and waterways with a voluntary conservation easement in 2014.

It’s still not too late to take advantage of this grant opportunity but time is of the essence. Landowners interested in learning more about protecting their property and waterways with a custom-made conservation easement are encouraged to contact the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC), by October 22, 2014 to take advantage of this great opportunity before the end of the year.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust, or government agency, which permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect the conservation values on the property which might include significant wildlife and plant habitat, stream banks, farmland, scenic or cultural lands, etc.  Landowners continue to own and use their property, and the land can also be sold or passed on to heirs.  Each conservation easement is personalized to reflect the wishes of the landowner; essentially, it is a will for your land.

This grant will cover the costs associated with placing a conservation easement on your property.  It will cover the cost of surveys, recording fees, title opinion and title insurance, stewardship endowment, baseline documentation report, project administration cost, appraisals, and legal fees.  Landowners that protect their land with a voluntary conservation easement may also qualify for federal tax incentives.

Those who are interested in learning more about conservation easements and the possibility of qualifying for this grant in 2014, contact the Pacolet Area Conservancy at 828-859-5060 or info@pacolet.org.

PAC is a proud member of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Blue Ridge Forever, and The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) whose standards and practices guide the work we do.

To date, PAC has helped protect over 8,532 acres of land.  PAC holds 66 conservation easements and owns 25 tracts of land in fee-simple, creating a treasury of mountains, rivers, streams, farmlands, forests, and greenspace – land that will be preserved forever.

The Pacolet Area Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust founded in 1989 to protect and conserve natural resources, with emphasis on lands and waterways with scenic, ecological, and agricultural significance in the North Pacolet and Green River watersheds (our mission).  PAC works with area landowners to ensure the long-term protection of their property through voluntary conservation easements (agreements) which enable landowners to maintain ownership of their property while preserving precious natural resources – open lands, forests, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, farmland, stream banks, and more.

– article submitted by Pam Torlina